Accordion-Fold Stegosaurus Wall Figure

You will need

• Plain white or light-colored paperAt least 5 sheets, standard letter size
• ScissorsChild-safe blunt-tip scissors for the child; adult pair for the template
• Glue stickOr white school glue applied with a cotton swab
• Washable marker or pencilFor tracing the body template and marking fold lines
• RuleroptionalOptional; helps keep accordion folds even
• Colored pencils or washable markersoptionalOptional, for decorating the body before assembly
• Large backing sheet or construction paperoptionalOptional; for mounting the finished figure

Steps

1. 1

   Trace and cut the body

   Place your pre-made body template on a fresh sheet of paper and let your child trace around it with a pencil or washable marker. Help them cut it out, steadying the paper from the far edge. Remind them to cut slowly around the curve of the head and the pointed tail — those are the two spots where blunt scissors need an extra moment.

   Tip: If the tail tears, a small strip of tape on the back fixes it invisibly.

2. 2

   Cut and fold four legs

   Cut four rectangles roughly the size of a thumb — about an inch wide and two inches long. Show your child how to fold each one in half lengthwise so it has some stiffness, then press the fold flat with a fingernail. Say: 'Stegosaurus had thick, pillar-like legs that held up its heavy body — these need to be sturdy too.'

   Tip: Folding the leg rectangles first, before cutting, gives a cleaner fold line.

3. 3

   Glue legs to the body

   Turn the body shape over. Show your child where the two front legs and two back legs would be, then apply a small amount of glue to one flat side of each folded rectangle and press them into position. Hold each one for a slow count of five. Set the body aside flat while the legs tack down.

   Tip: Staggering front and back legs slightly so all four touch a flat surface helps the figure stand later.

4. 4

   Make the accordion-plate strips

   Cut paper strips about an inch wide and six inches long — five or six strips total. Show your child the sample accordion you made earlier, then fold the first strip together: fold one end forward about half an inch, then fold the same amount backward, and repeat to the end. Each finished strip should look like a fan when held by one end. Say: 'These are going to be the bony plates running up the stegosaurus's back.'

   Tip: Accordion folds about half an inch wide stand up best; narrower ones tend to collapse.

5. 5

   Trim plates into triangles

   Hold a finished accordion strip so the folds are visible from above, then cut diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner so all the layers are cut together — this gives a row of rough triangles when the strip opens out. Your child can attempt this cut with supervision; assist if the scissors are skating off the fold. Do this with each strip.

   Tip: Cutting while the strip is still folded makes all the triangular plates the same size at once.

6. 6

   Attach plates along the spine

   Apply a thin line of glue along the top edge of the stegosaurus body from just behind the head to about two-thirds down the back. Lay the trimmed accordion strips along this line, base down, so the plates fan upward. Pinch each strip's base against the body for a moment. Say: 'Paleontologists still debate what those plates were for — some think they helped the stegosaurus control its body temperature.'

   Tip: Overlapping the strips slightly at the base gives a fuller, more realistic plate row.

7. 7

   Display or mount the figure

   Once the glue is dry enough to handle — about five minutes — help your child stand the stegosaurus up on its four folded legs, or glue it to a backing sheet as a wall piece. If mounting flat, press the plates gently so they angle up from the paper and stay open. Sign and date the back.

   Tip: A strip of tape across the back of each plate base, invisible from the front, keeps plates from drooping overnight.

Take it to the table

Materials checklist, the steps and the variations on one Letter page.